Decorative facing for walls,facades,ceiling and the like

ABSTRACT

A profiled panel for broad structural surfaces constituted of a juxtaposition of elements of bent plates, characterized in that the said elements have at least two parallel edges and a surface bent along a line parallel to the said edges and having plural asymmetrical skirts, forming a polyhedron that the space between the edges is the same in all of the elements mounted in any one series and that the supports of the said elements are smooth or profiled, provided with known attachment fixtures, and attached to the surface to be paneled. The described panel is applied to walls, facades and ceilings, particularly to those of a theater, concert or movie auditorium.

United States Patent [191 v Leclercq [54] DECORATIVE FACING FOR WALLS,

FACADES, CEILING AND THE LIKE [21] Appl. No.: 95,446

[52] U.S. Cl. ..52/480, 52/281, 52/387, 52/460 [51] Int. Cl. ..G04d l/34, E04d 3/30 [58] Field of Search .52/28l, 480, 364, 52/377, 387, 385, 460, 311, 222, 479, 482, 584, 314, 316

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,513,613 5/1970 Jones et a1 ..52/222 3,521,419 7/1970 Fornells ..52/717 3,420,029 1/1969 Martin ..52/584 2,145,469 1/1939 Weinland ..52/584 3,131,442 5/1964 Persson-Melin... ..52/222 3,217,453 11/1965 Medow.... 52/314 1,305,492 6/1919 Quass ..52/281 3,206,898 9/1965 Schroyerm. ..52/222 3,080,022 3/1963 Mote ..52/460 2,490,663 12/1949 Van Uum." ..52/460 2,116,530 5/1938 McCabe ..52/584 1 May 22,1973

Primary ExaminerJohn E. Murtagh Assistant Examiner-Leslie A. Braun Att0rneyDennison, Dennison, Townshend & Meserole [5 7] ABSTRACT A profiled panel for broad structural surfaces constituted of a juxtaposition of elements of bent plates, characterized in that the said elements have at least two parallel edges and a surface bent along a line parallel to the said edges and having plural asymmetrical skirts, forming a polyhedron that the space between the edges is the same in all of the elements mounted in any one series and that the supports of the said elements are smooth or profiled, provided with known attachment fixtures, and attached to the surface to be paneled. The described panel is applied to walls, facades and ceilings, particularly to those of a theater, concert or movie auditorium.

3 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PAIENIUJ M22 1975 v 3733 755 SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTQR Jen/w Paul. Lscu-Rc q ATTORNEYS PATENT 'Pw mms 3-733 786 sum 2 BF 2 lllliln in II llllll llllllllllllili FIG. 11

DECORATIVE FACING FOR WALLS, FACADES, CEILING AND THE LIKE The present invention concerns a profiled panel for walls, facades, ceilings, or the like.

Paneling of large building surfaces with either protective or decorative panels is of course well known and flat ceramic or metallic tiles can fill one or the other of these functions but cannot simultaneously achieve a decorative effect.

Tiles or panels of metal of rectangular or square base and with prismatic points have been proposed, and can be formed either by pressing, molding or bending. Each of these methods presents disadvantages.

Pressed sheet metal tiles require construction of costly equipment and cannot be as deeply pressed as desired because the depth of pressing is limited by the stretching of the metal. Moreover, additional equipment is required for each variation in dimension.

Molded tiles are too heavy because it is difficult to mold thin panels. Besides, they present an irregular sur-- face which is detrimental to the desired aesthetic effect. Bent prismatic tiles are not conveniently produced and require excessive labor.

The present invention concerns a panel for large structural wall or ceiling surfaces, consisting of the juxtaposition of elements of bent plates, the plates being preferably aluminum or an aluminum alloy, anodized and colored, painted, lacquered or coated with a layer of plastic material. These plates can also be perforated or engraved beforehand in a known manner.

The panel according to the invention is particularly useful for acoustic insulation and therefore is particularly significant in the present day of awareness of noise pollution.

Panels known at the present produced simply as structural covering (of simple symmetrical and parallel panels of simulated stone), still support resonance. On the contrary, the juxtaposition of elements of contrasting size, form and/or arrangement ensures diffused reflection, over and above the initial considerable reduction of the noise level. It is to be noted that the panel according to the invention can be used either for shingling of building exteriors or for interior paneling, as for example meeting halls, theaters, public places (cafes, restaurants, metro and train stations, etc.), and any location where there exists a high noise level.

The panel can be employed to take the place of a space divider partition. When attached to the front of any facade, it can cover any imperfections of the said facade and thereby eliminate the necessity for finishing the same. It can also conceal electrical and heating lines, ventilation ducts, air conditioning equipment, etc. The form of the panels as discontinuous plates ensures the reflection of heat, light and air.

Finally, the panel according to the invention has great utility for purposes of decoration.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a wall covering of three-dimensional form which is light in weight and serves both as decoration as well as a means to conceal structural utility installations and to provide sound proofing.

The invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of the construction. On the several drawings, the same reference characters designate the same members.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perpendicular cross sections of two variations of panel members according to the invention;

FIGS. 3 to 6 are top plan views of certain panel members according to the invention;

FIG. 7 shows one wall embodiment according to the invention utilizing panels of the invention;

FIG. 8 shows a cross section of a panel support according to the invention;

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment ofa wall obtained according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective of a panel member of plastic material for paneling according to the invention; and

FIG. 11 is a cross section of two panel members as in FIG. 10, attached to their support.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, panel member 10 (FIG. 1) is characterized in that it is formed from a flat plate member, having two parallel edges 11 and 12, the other edges, 13, 14 20, being of any form, straight, or curved; the plate is bent along a line 25 parallel to the edges in order to form a dihedron of which the two skirts 21, 22 are asymmetrical and the plate is also bent along the lines 23 and 24, which are but a short distance from edges 11 and 12, to form lips 26 and 27 for attachment of the member to parallel supports 30.

These support members are, for example, smooth, of T profile and are themselves attached by known means such as screws 31 to the surface to be paneled, the distance between supports being equal to the distance d between lips 26 and 27.

Lips 26 and 27 may be pierced with holes (not shown) for the passage of bolts or attachment screws, or may be partially bent back or angled as in FIG. 2 at 32 to allow attachment of the member to its supports 30.

The height dimension h in the direction of bend lines 25, 23 and 24 of the member can be as desired, larger than, smaller than, or equal to the space d between lips 26 and 27. The ridge along line 25 can be more or less rounded if desired.

The members 10 may be placed on their supports 30 and 30' in either of two ways: either with bend 25 closer to 30 than to 30' or with bend 25 closer to 30 than to 30.

Because the skirts 21 and 22 are asymmetrical and because of the possibility of mounting them on the same pair of parallel supports 30, 30' of which the only common property is the spacing d between the lips and since the other, dimensions such as height, forms and colors can vary according to taste, an infinite number of motifs of relief decoration can be created. If desired, they can be lighted from behind, through the spacing between adjacent members, for yet another decorative style for walls and ceilings.

According to the preferred embodiment desired, member 10 is manufactured from a long strip of sheet metal, first bent longitudinally to obtain the desired profile and then cut into individual members by known means. The bending can be accomplished progressively by known rolling machines for bending. The cutting is accomplished by pattern shearing machines or saws, for example.

In another embodiment, member 10 is manufactured from a blank in which all of the dimensions are cut beforehand, and is then bent along the provided bend lines.

Still within the disclosure of the invention, several different spacings d between support pairs 30, 30' can be chosen for one single wall or members 10 can be formed along more than one bend 25 as in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate some possible forms of lips 26 and 27. The cross section of FIG. 1 corresponds to member 40, 50, 66, or 70 of FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6.

FIGS. 3 to 6 are illustrations from below of members 40, 50, 66, and 70 to show some variations of dimension and form of edges 13 and 14. These members are formed from either lacquered or anodized and colored aluminum sheets. The sheets are preferably about 1 mm thick. Dimension d is about 30 cm.

FIG. 7 is a wall section formed from members 40 and 50 of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

In FIG. 7, 30 and 30 are supports formed of a T cross section member, the central flange of the T having a longitudinal groove 71 into which lips 26 and 27 of members 40 and 50 (FIG. 8) are inserted.

To prevent members 40 and 50 from disconnecting from their supports, groove 7i has a rubber lining 72 which is tightly compressed against lips 26 and 27. This support 30 is aluminum or plastic and is preferably formed by extrusion. It is attached to the surface S by screws 31.

FIG. 9 shows wall paneling obtained by assembling members 66 of FIG. 5 in a simple pattern. The open spaces resulting are designated by M on this drawing. The same members 66 can be assembled in various patterns, with no problem, for example by staggering or reversing the rows A, B, C, D in relation with each other. See FIG. 9.

The design of decorative panels according to the invention is thus very flexible. The panels are lightweight, easily manufactured and handled and give a homogeneous aspect to the paneling. They have certain aesthetic value and they can serve as an acoustical screen and therefore can be used in concert, movie theaters and auditoriums.

Since the original flat member is of metallic plate, it retains its bent form. This would not be so if instead of metallic plate a relatively flexible but not easily permanently deformable material were used, such as certain plastics. A different method of manufacture of these members would then be used because of the properties of the material. With polymers, known processes can be used, such as shaping, molding or extrusion, and thus, without final handling, the profile of the decorative member is obtained.

In one variation of the invention, each member 10 (FIG. 10) is obtained by bending a flat sheet of plastic material having two parallel edges 11 and 12, the other edges 13, I4 being of any form, bent along lines 23, 24, 25 which are parallel to edges 11 and 12. They are bent preferably at the time of mounting on their supports, and lines 23, 24 and 25 have depressions to facilitate such bending. They are so situated that bent member 10 has a convex surface with at least two asymmetrical skirts 21, 22, and two lips 26, 27 as tabs to attach member 10 on supports 30 (FIG. 11). They are bent by known processes, manually and without special tools if the plastic is sufficiently flexible.

Supports 30 for members 10 are preferably profiled in a T cross section with a central flange having a longitudinal groove into which are inserted lips 26 and 27 of two adjacent members. These supports 30 are in turn attached by known means, such as screws or bolts 31 to the surfaces to be paneled.

The invention also concerns the decorative panels themselves. Members 10 in the embodiment to be bent during mounting can be stacked compactly to facilitate transport. FIG. 10 is a perspective of a member 10 of flat, slightly plasticized vinyl polychloride. Edges II and 12 are respectively 40 cm and 30 cm long. Edge 13 is perpendicular to edges 11 and 12 and is 50 cm long. Edge i4 is constituted of two straight segments forming an angle of 30 and intersecting groove 25. Grooves 23, 24, and 25 are 1.5 cm wide and 0.2 cm in depth, if member 10 is 0.5 cm thick. They are respectively 10 cm, 45 cm and 25 cm from edge 11.

Two members 10 in FIG. 11 formed as in FIG. 10 are attached to their support 30 after bending, having been bent while being assembled, during mounting of the paneling, by known processes.

The relief panel according to the invention is easy to manufacture. By modification of the configuration and color of the constituent members, various decorative effects can be obtained.

A salient feature of the invention is the interchangeability of the panels for selective variation of their patterns. This makes possible frequent changes in the decor of an entire wall or any area thereof. The appearance of a wall may be changed daily if desired, or whenever it is desired to do so; such as temporarily for particular occasions or to suit the preferences of different occupants of a dwelling room or an office. All that one has to do to change a panel is simply to pull it outwardly from its place on the wall and push a different panel inwardly in its place. It is apparent from the showing of FIG. II that the side edge flanges or lips 26 and 27 enter and leave the sockets 30 in parallel planes that are perpendicular to the plane of the front surface of the wall S. The staggered relationship of the various series of panels provides an opening at the top and bottom edge of each panel, through which a finger may easily be inserted to grip and pull any desired panel or series of panels from its place on the wall.

The supports 30 illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 11 are sockets which receive the panel edge flanges or lips 26 and 27 and cooperate therewith to provide a quickdetachable connection. These sockets are detachably secured to the front face of a wall and may be arranged selectively in any desired sequences or patterns. Their attachment and removal is effected from the front of the wall surface, and does not require any dismantling of the wall or structural units that support the wall itself.

The appellation individual series appearing herein means a plurality of panels identical in configuration and in orientation with respect to the surface to which they are applied, in which the panels are arranged in juxtaposition and disconnected from each other.

I claim: 1. A variable pattern wall penal assembly comprising in combination;

a. a wall front planar surface, 1 b. a plurality of spaced parallel panel support mean secured on the wall front surface, each panel support means being of a generally T-shape and having a head and a stem, the head of the support means being secured to the front planar surface and the stem of the T extending forwardly thereof and being bifurcated and undercut and having a single restricted opening at its free end to define a panel connector flange securing socket therein.

c. a pair of separate discrete resilient elements within said socket and substantially filling the space therein to secure therebetween a pair of panel connector flanges in face-to-face engagement,

d. a plurality of individual series of separate, discon nected facing panels, the panels of each individual series having a configuration characteristic of that e. each panel having two spaced parallel detachable particular series only and the panel configuration 10 characteristic of each individual series being different from the panel configuration characteristic of each one of the other individual series, all panels of the various individual series being interchangeably connected to said support means, and

2. In the structure of claim 1, said panels having the configuration of polyhedrons with at least two asymmetrical faces.

3. In the structure of claim 1, said panels being dihedrons having two asymmetrical faces. 

1. A variable pattern wall penal assembly comprising in combination; a. a wall front planar surface, b. a plurality of spaced parallel panel support means secured on the wall front surface, each panel support means being of a generally T-shape and having a head and a stem, the head of the support means being secured to the front planar surface and the stem of the T extending forwardly thereof and being bifurcated and undercut and having a single restricted opening at its free end to define a panel connector flange securing socket therein. c. a pair of separate discrete resilient elements within said socket and substantially filling the space therein to secure therebetween a pair of panel connector flanges in face-to-face engagement, d. a plurality of individual series of separate, disconnected facing panels, the panels of each individual series having a configuration characteristic of that particular series only and the panel configuration characteristic of each individual series being different from the panel configuration characteristic of each one of the other individual series, all panels of the various individual series being interchangeably connected to said support means, and e. each panel having two spaced parallel detachable connector flanges integral therewith and extending rearwardly therefrom and interchangeAbly engaging with the support means sockets in planes of movement that are perpendicular to the plane of said wall front surface, said flanges being received between said resilient elements, the side edge flanges of all panels in the same individual series being equidistantly spaced apart.
 2. In the structure of claim 1, said panels having the configuration of polyhedrons with at least two asymmetrical faces.
 3. In the structure of claim 1, said panels being dihedrons having two asymmetrical faces. 